Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-01-28

There was an old idea that the
devil was responsible for all dis
eases and Affections. If one sneez-
| ed it was not because he had taken
snuff, but because the devil was
| laughing through his nose. One
naturally exclaimed, "GOd bless
youw The poor wretch who stint
tered was another victim of the
devils malignity. In those days
there was two ways of curing the
stntterer. One was to make him
| qnit talking, and the other was TO
sink the victim in ten feet OF water
| and leave him there until the devil
! was drowned. The first method
was only applicable to the male sex.
They were both effective, however,
! but unreasonably simple. Neither
method is in use to day to any great
extent.
Mrs. Florence James Adams.w who,
as far as voices are concerned, IS
wise beyond her years, sad the 9th
er day that there was an element
of cruelty about the second method
| atrevolted her. In fact, she con
sidered both methods unscientitic.
"StutteIing and stammerlng," she
explained, "are not visible mani
| festaiions of the devil. They are
due to muscular affections. The
whole trouble is a nervous one, and
one can cure it by building up the
system and teaching the sufferer
how to breathe properly"
Mrs. Adams has studied the art
Of voice building both in this coun-
try and abroad. She is deeply in
/ terested in this subject and an ar
dent believer in the future poSslbll-
tiles of the voice.
"First Of all, j" she explained, "you
mnSt know that in the new method
of voice bnilding the conversations
al voice Is trained by the vocal
scale. There are three registers in
| the speaking voice-upper, middle
and lower. Every voice has a
range of at least seven notes. The
lower register is merely used in
conversation, of course. Its prov
ince is to express anger and the
harsber passions. The middle reg
lister is usually the weakest OF the
three. This is, however, the nor
NAL voice. The upper register, with
it's shrill, decisive tones, is the men
! tai. The lower one is called the
vital. 1t is deep and passionate
| The normal is Of course the happy
medium. The evenly-balanced man,
whose heart does not Outrun his
head, speaks in this voice. Exclta
bic people drift into one extreme OF
the other. In the voice, as in all
other things, reposc brings grace
| The range matters little in the con-
versational voice. Though it were
limited to three notes, a wise sue
cession Of tone would make it ehec
tive. 1t is the slur, the careless
meaningless rise aud fall that ruin
the speaking voice"
care not our English cousins
good speakers 2"
"They say, you know" Mrs. Ad
ans replied, "that the rising inilec
| tion is the best spur to converse
tion. The falling infection is dog
matte, decisive, and cuts OF all dis
cussion. The young EngliShmar
says Tah love yOu-ah' with the ris
inc infection. He leaves the sub
ject poised in the middle voice.
Naturally the young woman CAM
leave it hanging there like Mo
hammed's coffin. You see, the
matter has already drifted into &
delightful explanatory discussion
The young American, however, says
Il love YOU with falling infection
That ends the matter. The young
woman can call or pass out-that'
all. But there is ever so much tC
be said on the other side"
"DO the Americans speak through
the nose r.
"Educated Americans No-nO.
unless they come from Maine
The Americans have a good speak
ing voice, as a-usual thing, though
it tends, perhaps, to sharpness
The voice, you know, is the trues
test of character. IL is almost un.
. failing. One can disguise the face
the eyes. the manner, but rarely
thinks of speaking out of the usua
voice. One can tell the intellectual
man, the immoral man, by his voice
more readily than in any Othe
way. The professional voice i
another strange thing. One cal
tell lawyer the moment he open
his mouth. He speaks in hard
didactic tone, with a downwar,
infection. His voice is low, but
decisive. Usually when lawye
wants to get a great effect he as
sumes a stage whisper. OF course
there are ever so many character
istics."
"What of the clergyman's profe'
sion voice ~
dwell, from his calling one wonS
T expect him to have a middle regE
Il ter voice, full of heart and symp'